Bendable clip box lock



May 22, 1951 M. c. ANDRE BENDABLE CLIP BOX' LOCK Filed April 12. 1250 INVENTOR'.

f c/m 41 HlS AT Patented May 22, 1951 BENDABLE CLIP BOX LOCK Michael Charles Andre, Miami, Fla., assignor to Gaylord Container Corporation, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Maryland Application April 12, 1950, Serial No. 155,498

3 Claims.

This invention relates generally to paperboard boxes, trays or cartons and more especially to means for securely interlocking the top and bottom cooperating members of the same so that said boxes may be more safely shipped and be otherwise handled in their necessary movements from place to place.

The invention has among its objects the con.- struction of a device of the kind described, which will be relatively neat and simple in construction and operation, economical in cost, compact so as to be so relatively inconspicuous when applied as not to be a deterrent to its use, and which will be otherwise satisfactory and efficient for use wherever deemed applicable.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to make a device of the kind described from a predetermined length of fiat pliable metal of required strength into a pair of superimposed leg portions, said device being easily affixed into place on one of the box members so that when the other bo-x member is placed in cooperative closure position, an exposed portion of one of said legs'may be grasped and bent flat against the exterior portion of the box to securely but rcleasably interlock said box members together.

Another object of my invention is to provide a fastener of the kind described, wherein one of said leg members will have a laterally ofiset portion intermediate its length whereby said offset may spring or snap into a slot' provided through a side wall of one of the box members to which said fastener is attached, to thereby retain said fastener in position.

An added object of my invention is to provide a clip fastener of the kind described, formed into apair of superimposed leg portions of unequal length, so that after the shorter leg has been inserted into position the longer leg may be bent against the outermost portion of the box member to hold the box members locked.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a locking device of the kind described, wherein the locking clip is provided with an elfset portion of substantially the same height as the thickness of the side wall of the box through which said offset extends soas to extend entirely through a slot in the latter and engage with the opposed leg structure of the clip.

'Many of the objects and advantages of the construction herein shown and described will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains, as will be more clearly apparent from the disclosures herein given. To this end my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement, and combination of parts herein shown and described, and the uses mentioned, as will'be'more clearly pointed out in the following specification.

In the drawings'wherein like symbols repre- 2 sent like or corresponding parts throughout the views,

Figure l is a perspective view of the box as it appears locked and ready for shipment;

Figure 2 is a vertically spread apart perspective View of the same, but with the box members not yet in closed position;

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional detail, taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a similar view, taken substantially along the line 4 i of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional view, taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the fastening element or clip.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, there is shown a box or carton of any desirable construction and for any use and generally made of a paperboard. In the form shown, the box is comparatively shallow so that it may be termed a tray, and such trays are commonly used for the marketing of fruits, vegetables and produce generally.

Although such a box might be made so that its bottom and top are joined permanently along one edge, the embodiment shown is comprised of separate and individual bottom and top members. The bottom member A of the box has a floor or bottom wall I, is provided with the enclosing or bounding vertical side walls 2, and there are side wall flaps 3 formed by folding the material of the side walls along their topmost edges or fold lines 4 inwardly and downwardly to closely adjacent the bottom of the box so as to have the cooperating side wall and side Wall flap substantially in superimposement throughout.

If desired, the bottom of the side wall flap may be interlocked with the bottom'wall by forming lugs or tabs 5 along the bottom edge of said flap for interlocking engagement intoslots 6 in said bottom wall. A pair of slots 1 and 8 are made through one or more of the side walls, each pair being vertically spaced above one another, for a purpose to be more clearly hereinafter described.

The top member B of the box, or the slip cover as it is sometimes called when the box itself is so shallow as to be referred to as a tray, has a top wall 9 of substantially the same size and shape as the opening defined between the side walls of the bottom member, and said top wall is provided with bounding flanges or walls 10 depending therefrom, so that such a cover may be placed into closure position on the bottom member in the manner illustrated. One or more slots II are provided through the top wall 9 adjacent its juncture with a flange Hi, each said slot being in vertical alignment with a pair of slots I and 8, of the box bottom when the members are in closed position, for a purpose to be more clearly hereinafter described.

In order to hold the top and bottom members of the box securely interlocked so that such boxes may be shipped from one place to another without danger of loss of the contents, I have provided a fastening element C. This fastening element or clip is preferably made of a suitable length of flat pliable metal or other bendable material that has sufiicient strength for the purpose, and this strip is bent intermediate its ends to form a pair of superimposed leg portions I2 and I3, one of which is longer than the other for a purpose to be hereinafter set forth. The shorter leg I2 is formed with a laterally or transversely ofiset portion or rib l4 intermediate its ends and preferably adjacent the upper end of said leg, the height of said rib being substantially equal to the thickness of the side wall of the bottom member A of the box so that it will extend entirely within the uppermost slot 7 through the same and engage against the opposed portion of the longer leg I3. Ihe lower ends of said legs are joined together and afford a resiliency so that said legs may be yieldably spread apart manually.

This clip member is inserted into place by inserting the free end of the shorter leg 52 through the lowermost slot 8 and actuating said clip upwardly between the side wall and the side wall flap so that the clip straddles said side wall as shown most clearly in Figures 3 and 4, and when said ofiset portion or rib l4 comes into registry with the slot 7, it will spring or snap into place to lie within the latter and assume the position shown in the Figures 3, i and 5.

The top or slip cover of the box is then mounted on said bottom member, so that the longer or outermost leg [.3 of each clip is insertably received through the slots llli in the slip cover top, whereupon such projecting or upstanding ends of the leg may be deformed and bent outwardly and downwardly so as to lie substantially flat against the outer surface of the cover flange, as shown most clearly in Figure 4.

It will be noted that the side wall flap covers and conceals the clips from within the box and that the cover flange conceals all of outer portions of the clips except those portions bent over and against the flange at the final interlock.

From, the foregoing description it is obvious a fastener of the, kind described may be made, economically and will be readily and safely used for interlocking the boxes during shipment, and enables the filled boxes to withstand the usual and normal handling and to be quickly and easily opened for inspection or removal of the contents.

What I claim is:

1. In a box of the kind described and. in combination, a bottom member having an upright side wall folded inwardly along its top edge to form a downturned inside flap, and a top member provided with a bounding flange to overlie said side wall when the box members are elesed relation, and a fastener clip for detachably interlocking said box members and comprising a strip of pliable metal formed into a pair of opposed legs of unequal: length and joined together at one end, said side wall having. a pair of vertically spaced slots therethrough, said shorter leg having a solid outwardly oiiset high projection intermediate its ends and yieldably received in said upper slot, the height of said of e p oject on ei g appro im te y equal. o

the thickness of said side wall, said top member being provided with a slot adjacent to said flange so that said longer leg may pass therethrough and be bent downwardly against; the exterior of said bounding flange, said downturned flap overlying and fully concealing said shorter leg.

2. The combination with a box bottom member havingan upright side wall folded double upon itself along its upper edge, the outer portion of said side wall having a pair of slots therethrough at vertically spaced intervals, and a box top member having a side flange to overlie said side wall and provided with a slot therethrough adjacent the top of said flange and in vertical alignment with said pair of slots when the box is closed, of a clip fastener for detachably interlocking said members and comprising a strip of bendable metal formed into a pair of superimposed legs. of unequal length joined at one end to be yieldably separable, the shorter leg having a deep transversely oiiset solid rib intermediate its ends and substantially engaging said longer leg thereat, whereby said last-mentioned leg may be inserted between said doubled side wall upwardly through the lowermost slot until said rib snaps through said upper slot in said side wall, said clip being covered and concealed on the inside of the box by said inner portion of said double side wall, and the uppermost portion of said flange being provided with a slot nerethrough and said longer leg being adapted to extend through said last-mentioned slot and bent downwardly against the exterior portion of said flange.

3. In a paperboard box of the kind described, the combination with top and bottom members, of a fastener clip, for releasably interlocking said members together, said bottom member having an upright wall withv a pair of vertically spaced slots. therethrough and said upright wall being folded along its upper edge to form a downturned flap, said top member having a depending side flap provided with a slot therethrough that is in alignment with said pair of slots when said box is closed, said clip comprising a fiat strip of bendable metal formed into a pair of superimposed legs of unequal. length, the shorter leg being provided with. a transversely offset solid rib intermediate its ends and extending toward the other leg, the height of said rib being approximately equal, to the thicknessof said upright wall of the bottom, member, said shorter leg being insertable, upwardly through the lowermost slotv until saidrib springs into said upper slotof said side wall closely adjacent.v said longer leg thereat thereby rigidly holding said, shorter leg in con-. tact with, said sidewall, and the longer leg passing through said slot in said top member so that it may be bent downwardly thereat against the exterior of the flange.

M CH L C A L S NDRE.-

REFERENQES GITED- The, following references, are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Namev 'Date.

773,979 Pevey Nov. 1,1-904 1,675,286 Van Valkenburg June 26, 1928 2,166,344 Donohue July 18, 1939, 2,300,161 Mather Oct. 27, 19.42 2,329,667 Thexton Sept. 1A, 1943 2,43 i,014-.. Rosenberg Jan. 6., 1 948 

